[TR-A] Play with Me Reboot

Written by: Kiki H (DeviantArt; 'Play with Me')
word count: ~14,718
average read time: 1 hour 53.2 minutes

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The summer was nice and warm that year in 1966. The sun always brought warmth to your skin from its rays. The light breezes that swept through the neighborhood made the days not too hot or cold. It was simply perfect weather. But one summer that changed Sally's life. Sally was a young girl, eight years old, long curly brown hair reaching past her shoulders, and bright green eyes. Almost a spitting image of her mother. She was always polite, she never lied, and did as she was told. Her mother and father simply adored her, they couldn't ask for a better daughter.


Sally giggled as she played with her friends outside in her front yard. They did various games like hopscotch and jump rope, even dolls, and tag. The three girls all chatted away as they made their barbie dolls move their arms to imitate them in their make-believe world.

"I say Charlette! That new dress looks divine on you! Where EVER did you get it?" Exclaimed Sara while she turned her doll to match her words, her skin was fair with freckles dancing across her face and arms, bright red hair adorned her head that twisted up into a single braid. She wore her signature pastel green summer dress, white socks, and black buckle shoes.

"My dear old friend from Dillards kept one in my size for me, can you believe that?" Replied Jennie now making her doll spin by twisting her extended arm reaching the sky. Jennie was of Asian descent, creamy skin, and narrow almond brown eyes were framed by her long black hair being held up on the left with a snap clip. Unlike Sara and Sally who wore a form of dress, Jennie wore a red puff shirt with dark blue leggings and flats. Sally grinned and hopped her doll over to continue their make-believe conversation.


"I sure can, is this 'dear old friend' the one who keeps bringing you flowers every other week?" Sally wore a simple pink and white collared dress with white strapped shoes. The three erupted in laughter as another light breeze rolled past, random leaves being picked off the ground and trees to be carried off to another landing spot in the world.


Sally's mother Marie smiled warmly at the innocent sight while she wiped her washed hands on her apron, calling out to her daughter in the doorway of their home.


"Sally! Come inside now, it's time for lunch!" Sally looked up from her doll and smiled.


"Okay, mommy! Be right there!" Turning back to her friends she grinned and waved to them both. "Till next time, yeah?" Sara and Jennie nodded, returning the waves as they too returned home to eat their meals.


"Till next timeee!" The two called back with laughter. Sally sat her doll down in the grass beside the other playthings she owned, finally rising to her feet to trot up inside her home. Closing the door behind her the girl began skipping over to the dinner table. Sitting down at the end of the table, Sally lightly bounced in her seat as she watched her mother putting the last of her lunch together, a loving smile on her face. Her mother placed down a plate holding a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the crusts cut off. Some mixed grapes, carrot and celery sticks on the side, topping it all off with a glass of juice to drink.


"Thank you, mama." Replied the child once retrieving her food, her smile now beaming up at her mother.


"You're welcome, sweetie." As the child began to take hold of her sandwich, Marie took a seat next to the girl and smiled watching her eat her food hungrily. "Guess what! Your uncle Johnny is coming over." Sally looked up with a surprised look, the corners of her lips had traces of peanut butter on them. Chewing the food as best she could, Sally attempted to speak through the sticky substance.


"Mmg! Munle Jommy??" She repeated through her food. Her mother laughed and nodded, taking her napkin to gently wipe her mouth.


"Mhm. He's coming to help daddy with his job and to help look after you too. Maybe all of us can go to the carnival!" Sally chewed the rest of her bite quickly and swallowed.


"Can Sara and Jennie come along?" Marie looked up in thought.


"Well, that's up to their mom and dad's to say. But if they are allowed, of course, they can!" The child giggled and bounced in her seat again, now even more excited about this year's summer vacation.


"Hehe, okay! I'll be sure to go ask them after lunch!" She continued to shovel her sandwich down, humming happily as she tossed the grapes in her mouth one by one. Afterward, she finally ate her carrot and celery sticks. Sally downed the last of her juice, a satisfied sigh escaping her. "Thank you again for the lunch mama, it was great!" Again she wiped her mouth of any food that stuck to her face. Marie took the dishes back into the kitchen to wash, calling out to Sally to return home at a reasonable hour before her daughter returned to play with her friends.


"Yes ma'am!"


Sally began following the sidewalk up the street reaching the culdesac. First, she went to pick up Jennie, her house was the closest to her own. The front yard was well kept, colorful flowers lined the path leading up to their front door, their family car parked outside the garage. Her father must have been home early for the day, a rare treat for them. She knew Jennie adored her father, not being able to see him as often as she'd like due to his office job, but when he was around, he was the best dad that family could have. Knowing fully that she didn't want to take her away from this time, Sally knocked on their white-painted door. After a few moments, Jennie's mother answered the door, a smile already on her face.


"Ohh hello Sally, how are you today?" She asked.


"I'm fine Mrs. Chao, just got done eating some lunch. I was wondering if it was alright if Jennie could join my family and me for the carnival." Mrs. Chao's smile grew warm, looking back into her house to watch her husband and daughter conversing.


"I'm sure she would love that, when did you want her to come over?"


"Probably this upcoming weekend. Maybe as soon as my uncle gets here."


"Ohhh you have relatives coming in from town? That's always nice to have." Sally grinned and nodded in excitement. "Well, I have no problems with Jennie joining you on that adventure. I'll be sure to tell her about it." Giving another nod in agreement, the brunette waved goodbye to the woman, thanking her for her time.


"Thank you, Mrs. Chao! Have a good rest of your day!" Skipping away in happiness, the girl began following the sidewalk once again, looping around till she was now across the street from her home. Sara lived right across from her, the lawn also healthy and kept, shrubs lined the house instead of flowers. Sally was about to knock the door, a small gasp escaping her as Sara suddenly opened the door.


"Oh! Hello Sally! What's up?" She asked in curiosity, a smile now on her face. Sally beamed as she clapped her hands together.


"Can you ask your parents if you can come with Jennie and me to the carnival this weekend? Maybe we can have a sleepover too!" Sara giggled, getting giddy at the sound of how much fun they would have.


"Yeah sure, I can ask them! I was just about to go check the mail, so I'll ask once I get it for them." Nodding Sally once again waved to her friend, leaving her to her chores as she returned home. Marie was surprised to see that her daughter was already inside after leaving not too long ago.


"Everyone still eating?" She asked in curiosity while she vacuumed the floor. Sally shook her head, a smile still on her face.


"No, nothing like that. Jennie's dad is home early today, so I know she'll be spending time with him. Sara is busy doing chores, so who knows when she'll be done." It wasn't long before a yawn escaped her, now rubbing her eyes as she began removing her shoes. "Though, I think I'm gonna take a nap. All this excitement is making me sleepy." Marie chuckled and watched as her little girl sleepily make her way to her room to do just that, only waking once it was time to get ready to wash up for dinner.


Rising from her pillow with a long yawn, Sally stretched her limbs, her attention now on the sky through the window facing the backyard. The sky was now shifting from day to evening, blue washing out into light pastels of orange and pink. The sound of an all too familiar car could be heard driving into the garage, turning off. The car door opened and closed with a padded thud followed by the garage door closing. Sally smiled, her dad was home.

Sally's father, Frank, had just walked through the door, suitcase in hand as he released a relieved and tired sigh. It was a long day at the office, a lot of meetings for the company on which direction they were going to head in for the betterment of future sales. A lot of paperwork and a lot of words being exchanged with many employees and higher-ups, it was another typical day at work. The man removed his coat and shoes at the door, placing the article of clothing on the coat hanger resting beside the front door along with his car keys. Bending down he grabbed the shoes and put them up against the wall out of the walkway, now slipping his feet in his house shoes. Pulling at his tie to loosen it, Frank began sniffing the air, mouth growing watery as he enjoyed the smell of their dinner being cooked.


"Mmm-mmm, that smells wonderful Marie. What's on the menu?"


"Welcome home honey." Stopping her mixing for a moment, the woman kissed her husband on the lips, pulling away to resume her cooking. "We have steak with mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, green beans, and rolls." Frank let out an impressed whistle.


"My my what a meal, what's the special occasion?" Marie just chuckled.


"No special occasion, just feeding the best food to my wonderful family." The two almost exchanged another kiss, only to be stopped by the happy call of Sally's voice.


"Daddy daddy, you're home!" Frank turned around to see Sally running over, arms outreached to embrace him in a hug. Laughing he picked her up and hugged her properly, holding onto her to have the child be at their level. "Mmmm mommy's food smells really good tonight."


"It sure does, doesn't it? Now, did you wash your hands?" The child shook her head. "Go wash up and I'll help you set the table." Giving her cheek a big loud and silly-sounding kiss, Sally laughed as he placed her back down on her feet. Following his orders, the girl made her way to the bathroom, stepping up on her stepping stool to reach the sink and bar of soap. Sally turned the cold water on and lathered her hands in it, then adding soap to create suds. She made sure to wash her palms, under her nails, and even on top, not wanting to miss any part in her washing. As soon as she thought she was clean enough, the girl rinsed her hands of the soap, turning off the water before drying her hands on a fresh clean towel hanging off the rack.


Once returning to the dinner table, she began helping Frank set the table, placing down plates, eating utensils, and ice-filled glasses. The whole time Marie was platting food and making sure they had what they needed, like napkins, butter, salt, and pepper. Sally sat herself down at the side of the table, her parents taking the table ends. Marie began plating her daughter's plate first, giving her a bit of everything in small portions versus how much she or her father was going to be eating. Sally thanked her with a smile, asking if she could have some water to drink, all while taking ahold of her fork and steak knife to methodically cut away at her medium-rare cooked steak. Her mother nodded while getting up to serve everyone's drink. Water for herself and Sally, lemonade for Frank. The three talked about their day, first starting with Sally. She was happy that she and her friends were most likely all going to the carnival together, asking then if they could also have a sleepover afterward, to which her parents agreed without any hesitation. Who were they to deny their daughter a sleepover during her summer vacation? Giddy with joy, the girl thanked her parents over and over again. Frank then asked about his wife and how she faired for that day. "Just another perfect day." Was all she could say, happy to see her daughter happy and healthy, and her husband just the same. The man chuckled and agreed, casually telling of his workday and it's a busy schedule. He was hoping to get a foot in for a job offer for his brother, Johnny. Yes, he was coming into town to visit, but visiting a bit longer than one would think. Not wanting to talk too much of the topic in front of his child, but the two parents know that things weren't going too well with Johnny and his wife, Karen. They had been married over five years now, but apparently, she had been seeing someone else for quite some time, Johnny only now finding out about it by walking in on them at their home. Feeling bad for his kin, Frank offered that his company could build a mini house for half the price on their property. Not only to give better home value for the future in case they move out but to also help out a fellow family member in a time of need.


After dinner the family helped put away all the leftovers before sitting up in the living room, all three watching one of the many popular family sitcoms at the time, The Monster Family. The cast was nothing but horror monsters like vampires, mummies, werewolves, ghosts, witches, and much more. All of them going through their day to day lives in the mortal world of humans. Sally loved the show. Time ticked away and soon Sally was finding herself dozing off the more the tv shows ran, Marie, noticing this. She smiled and kissed Sally on top of her head thus waking the child from her daze.

"Let's get ready for bed, yeah?" The two nodded and got up, Sally going to the bathroom to brush her teeth, Marie going to Sally's room to pick out her pajamas for her, laying them out on top of the covers. The child entered her room once done with her bathroom tasks, yawning sleepily as her mother held the clothes she wore that day, tossing them in the small laundry basket resting in her closet. Once dressed in her pants and buttoned-up top, the girl crawled under her covers, sighing contently as her mother tucked her in, kissing her good night on her forehead. "Good night sweetheart, see you in the morning." Brushing her hair to the side with her fingers, Marie smiled warmly at the sight of her child falling asleep. Rising to leave the room the mother turned off the light, cracking the door to allow a small ray of light to enter the room.


Over the next few days, uncle Johnny finally arrived on Friday. He drove up to the house parking his car out in the street just a way next to their mailbox. Climbing out of his car, the man stretched his arms over his head and let out a tired sigh, happy to have finally made it to his destination. Before he could get his bearings, a happy child's voice erupted in the distance.


"Uncle Johnny!" A small voice chirped, earning the attention of the man. Sally dropped the jump rope she was playing with onto the carport, running over to embrace her family member in a tight hug.


"Heyy Sal! How've you been? Being a good little girl I hope." He asked lifting the girl with ease, giving her a proper hug. The girl giggled and looked back to her friends, who were now waving in their direction.


"Hello, Mr. Sally's Uncle!" Called Sara.


"Helloooo!" Jennie followed up that they would head home for the day, seeing as it was getting late and nearing dinner time.


"I'm always a good girl Johnny, you know that! Let's go inside and tell mama you're here!" Sally suggested, earning a smile from her uncle.


"Sounds like a great idea." Johnny had a head full of wavy chocolate brown hair, his eyes hazel green. Instead of wearing an office suit like her father, he was wearing a normal button up long sleeve, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes. Walking up the pathway leading to the front door, the two entered the house, the man calling out to his sister in law. "Marie! I'm here!" He called, followed by Sally mimicking him.


"Mamaaa! He's heeeere~!" The housewife hurried out of the kitchen and smiled, happy to see that her brother in law had made it to their home safe and sound.


"Hello, John! Hope the drive wasn't too hard on you." The man placed the girl down on the ground and patted her bottom to send her off, hugging the woman before sighing.


"Yeah, no kidding. I could have stayed at a few motels here and there on the way but, I decided to either drive through or just sleep in the car." He laughed, walking into the kitchen with the woman. Sally trotted over to her bedroom to play with her toys till dinner was ready, not wanting to interrupt any 'grown-up' talk her mother and uncle might be talking of. As dinner drew near, Sally's father came home at his usual time, happy to see his brother had made it. Once entering the house, Frank called out to his sibling after placing down his suitcase on the floor, closing the door behind him before strolling up to Johnny with a handshake and hug.


"Nice to see you man, how have you been?" He asked removing his coat, returning to the front door to hang his coat and keys along with removing his shoes. Johnny watched as Marie set the table up for supper. Johnny took a small moment to reply, fiddling with his thumbs.


"Oh, you know, could be better. But how is one supposed to act during a divorce? Y'know hehe." He chuckled nervously, clearing his throat as he turned to face his brother. Frank couldn't help but feel bad, hoping his question wasn't too insensitive for his little brother.


"Oh uh, I'm, I'm sorry Johnny. I didn't mean to--" His brother cut him off with a wave of his hand as if shooing away a fly.


"No no no, it's alright! You were just concerned that's all, I appreciate it, I do." Smiling to show he didn't mean to make him worry, and was doing fine. Frank kept wondering if he was truly alright, knowing him to be a bit 'extra' when it came to situations involving a lot of pressure. "Nah, it's alright. I'm happy, happy I can move freely now without having someone constantly wanting to know where I am, and what I'm doing." The two men laughed together, making their way to the table to get ready to eat.


"Well, I'm glad you're making this the best you can. And I'm proud of you."

Marie was busy setting the table with Sally, both of them chatting away while the men did the same in their conversation. Once Johnny saw the food being placed on the table, he began sniffing the aroma that came from it.


"Mmm Marie, this smells wonderful."


"Hehe thank you, I saw this recipe on the television a few days ago, wanted to try and see if we'd like it." The table had everyone's plates, glasses, and utensils ready, the food consisted of cubed potatoes, baked beans, cornbread, a rack of barbequed ribs, and macaroni and cheese. Once everyone was plated, Sally couldn't help but let out a sigh of pleasure from how good the food tasted.


"Mmm-mm-mm! It's a yummy mama!" The adults smiled and chuckled from the child's praise, both men agreeing and praising the woman for their warm meal. Everyone agreed that until the side house was built, Johnny would reside in the guest room on the side of the house with the master bedroom.


"You guys are too kind, I don't deserve a family like you," Johnny said once Sally had left to use the bathroom after finishing her supper. Marie couldn't help but frown.


"Don't say those kinds of things John, you've been nothing but the best in this family." Chuckling, he thanked her for the praise.


"Thank you, Marie. Let me help you with the dishes."


Plate after empty plate was handed to Marie, Sally starting the assembly line of dishes while her mother cleaned them, ending with Johnny drying them with a dry rag. Most of the food was luckily eaten, meaning no leftovers, which was always a good feeling for Marie. Everyone then settled in the living room. Another evening of their television shows until everyone got sleepy for bed. And Sally was the first to be hit with the Sandman's sleep. The girl began to yawn over and over again, rubbing her eyes to try and stay awake longer, all to no avail. Her mother smiled and gently rubbed her back.


"Looks like someone is tired. Time for bed." Sally nodded with a sleepy smile and hopped off her seat on the couch, making her way to the bathroom to do her nightly rituals. Marie rose to do the usual helping Sally get into bed, but was stopped by John grabbing ahold of her arm. She paused and looked to him with a curious smile.


"Is, is it okay if I take her to bed tonight?" He asked earning a now understanding expression from her.


"Alright, thank you, John." The man nodded, watching the woman make her way back into the kitchen to tidy it up to be used the next day. Frank was busy looking over his notes and files from his suitcase, his reading glasses resting on his nose. Johnny smiled lightly, his attention now on Sally who had finally emerged from the bathroom after brushing her teeth.


"Let's get to bed then, yeah?" Sally smiled and nodded, holding his hand as she led him to her room. Johnny smiled and closed the door behind him, watching the girl rummage around through her dresser for a pair of pajamas to wear.


"You need any help?" He asked, watching the girl look up and nod. "Okay, let's see what you got here." The man waltzed up alongside her and began looking through her various pajamas. "You got some strawberry printed ones. I bet you'll smell just like them in your dreams." He commented, taking the shirt up from its spot and showed her, giving it a few deep inhales and a silly face afterward. Sally giggled and shook her head, indicating she didn't want to wear her strawberry pajamas this night. Johnny nodded and placed the shirt back, then pulled out another top that had a floral print. "How bout this one? Bet you'll be able to pick loads of flowers!" Again the child giggled and shook her head no. The man let out a small huff before placing it back, his face still being silly to cause her to laugh. Then took out a regular white nightgown. "How bout this? Be able to turn into a princess with this one." Sally's eyes lit up and clapped her hands excitedly and nodded. Placing the gown on her bed, he reached over to her and began to unbutton her shirt.


"I can get dressed uncle." She said with a smile, looking down at his hands on her shirt. The man smiled back and nodded, continuing to work his way down her shirt.


"I bet you can, but you're tired, and why not have some help?" He asked, watching Sally nod a few times, a yawn now escaping her as if on cue. Once getting her shirt unbuttoned, he slipped it off her shoulders and gave her tummy a nice poke, making her giggle. He grinned and took ahold of the rim of her shorts and pulled them down. Finally, the man grabbed ahold of her nightgown and pushed the opening over her head, making sure her arms could go through the sleeves. Pulling the rest of the dress down, he rose his hands in the air as if it was a surprise. "All done!" He said happily, watching the girl smile back, giggling when she spun to make her gown twirl, then bounded on top of her bed. Johnny rose and picked her clothes off the ground, tossing them into her laundry basket before walking over to the door to open it. Once doing so, he allowed her mother to come in just as she was about to knock on the door.


"Oh! Everyone ready for bed now?" She asked watching the two nod in agreement. Chuckling she made her way over to one side of the bed, Johnny standing on the opposite side.


"Did you want anyone to tell you a story?" Johnny asked in curiosity. Sally shook her head, another yawn escaping her.


"Looks like this little lamb is ready to doze off." She looked down at her daughter and leaned in, kissing the child on her forehead as usual. "Goodnight sweetheart."


"Goodnight mama." Giving the girl a gentle rub with her thumb on her cheek, the woman took the basket of clothes from the closet, the two now making their way out of the bedroom. Johnny smiled to the mother, reaching over to turn the light switch off with a flick.


"Good night kiddo." He called lightly, Sally's eyes already closed and asleep. Johnny carefully closed the door to her room leaving a crack to allow light to shine through, peeking through it for a moment to watch the girl. Then finally left to get ready for bed.


Weeks passed and everything seemed to be as normal as normal could be. The carnival trip was a blast along with the sleepover, but it wasn't until after that event that things seemed to be a little. Odd. Sara and Jennie had noticed how different Sally was whenever they would play dolls. They couldn't quite put their fingers on it, but she wasn't as... 'bright' as she usually was. She may have seemed to be fine and happy, but that glow that she had, it was fading. Growing dim. This all began as soon as the construction workers came to start building Johnny's 'new home'.


"Hey, Sally.." The brunette looked up from brushing her barbie doll's hair, a curious smile on her face. "Are you... feeling okay?" Sara finished with a concerned look on her face. They could tell she was attempting to hide the jolt of panic that rattled her bones, forcing her signature smile.


"Yeah! Why do you ask?" The two friends looked at her for a moment, both still showing concern.


"Well... You, it's just... how do I put it." Jennie scratched her head, thinking hard of how to put what she was thinking into words.


"Jennie and I have noticed that you've been acting a little weird lately. We just wanted to know if something was wrong, that's all." Sally blinked, faking her confusion as she too scratched her head.


"Huh? Really? I have been?" She looked down at herself as if finding something different about her that she hadn't noticed before. "I feel fine! Really! Trust me, if there was something wrong, you guys would be the first to know!" The two girls frowned and looked at each other, then back to Sally. Both extending their hands out, pinky outreached while their other fingers closed to a fist.


"Pinky promise?" Both Jennie and Sara said simultaneously. Sally grinned and nodded, wrapping her pinky with both of theirs for a three-way pinky promise handshake.


"Pinky promise."


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Four years had passed since that summer in 1966. It was the year 1970 and many things had changed under the noses of William's residents. Still, throughout her hidden abuse by the hands of her uncle over the years, the girl wanted to show she was strong. Stronger than the man she thought she could trust and love unconditionally. Stronger than what everyone was expecting of her in everything; grades, mistakes she would make, her extracurricular activities. Just overall, wanting to continue to be the perfect daughter for her parents. But it was hard to do after that summer in '66. She struggled with the nightly visits she began getting from her uncle, always disassociating herself during those cruel and awful acts. Imagined she was gone, gone in a land far far away from where no one knew who she was, a place where she could play and be happy for the rest of her days without a care in the world. Her own little Everland. But like all fantasies, they come to an end. She never knew if her mother or father had noticed anything different in the house, but as more time passed, it was clear they were completely unaware of what was going on.


Sally knew her friends were growing more and more suspicious as the years passed. They may not have prayed as much as they did when they were younger, but she could tell they knew something was off. Wrong even, with her. They learned to never ask about it because it almost always ended in Sally leaving after they settled the dispute, or just climbing up altogether, almost deflecting everything they would ask her. So they dropped the whole idea that there was something 'wrong', and figured their minds were just overreacting, overprotective of their best friend. It wasn't till the carnival came into town that things would change drastically that year.


"Okay children, make sure you read your textbooks and complete the set of questions at the end of today's lesson. Be sure to stay safe this weekend!" The math teacher announced before the bell rang, letting out the students for the day. The entire class began packing their things up, gathering their belongings up into their hands and arms before pouring out the classroom doors. Sally sighed as she walked down the halls, the chatter of all the students talking all at once served as white noise for her. Hating and dreading going home for the weekend.


"Heyyy! Sally! Hey Sal!" Called a familiar voice back behind her. Stopping the brunette turned to see Sara waving and running down the hall to catch up to her, Jennie right beside her. Sally smiled and waved back, standing still for them to walk with her the rest of the way home.


"Hey, how do you feel about going to the carnival this year?? My father said I can even stay the night!" Jennie butted in and continued the conversation.


"My dad will be pretty busy this weekend, so I'll be pretty free this time around! Huh, Sal, what do you think??" Sally hummed in thought. The town's yearly carnival was back for spring break early this year, not knowing if they were still going to be around for much longer. Why not stay and be open all spring and summer long for one last hurrah?


"Welllll I guess that sounds like a lot of funnn." She laughed after being tackled by hugs. "I'll ask my parents when I get home, I'm sure they'll be fine with the idea though." The three exited the school building, following a few other students who made their way onto one of the many numbered school buses. They were usually the last students to get off the bus with their neighborhood being at the very end of the bus route. Sitting at the very front, the three continued chatting away like birds in a tree, speaking of their crushes and schoolwork, along with how excited they were to visit the town carnival for what felt like the last time.


"I can't believe it's going away for good after this year..." Sara pointed out with a hint of sadness in her tone. Sally placed her hand on her shoulder and gave it a caring squeeze.


"Yeah, I feel you there. But hey! Maybe a better one will replace it!" The girls chuckled.


"We'll just have to wait and see!" Chimed in Jennie, the sound of the bus stopping and doors flying open caused the girls to gather their things. One by one the girls began walking down the steps and onto the curb outside, all walking together to return to their homes.


Each step Sally took made her inner core grow sour the closer she got to her home. And she hated it. Hated that she feared the one place she once called 'home sweet home', hated that it was all because of one person. She didn't even see him as a family anymore. How could he do what he live with himself after what he did, and still does to this day? Thousands upon thousands of questions ran through her brain, her head growing sore with the more she thought about them. It was like her mind couldn't comprehend or understand why? Just... why? All the while Sally was deep in her thoughts, Sara and Jennie couldn't help but noticed how her body language read. But, they kept it to themselves, like always.


The girls all branched off to their respective houses, each one calling and waving till they disappeared behind their doors. Marie was busy getting dinner prepped and ready to cook, Frank and Johnny, who now worked at his brother's job, were both gone and still in the office. Safe for now. Sighing quietly, the girl removed her shoes at the door, listening as her mother called out to her.


"Welcome home sweetie! How was school today?" She called out, busy dicing food, listening for her daughter's reply. Sally took a few deep breaths, mentally preparing herself to force the act she had been playing for the past four years. She smiled, gripped the textbooks and folders carrying her work close to her chest, and made her way to the kitchen, her mother only looking up from the cutting board after pausing her knife work.


"Hey mom, it was good. Just like any other day."


"Spring break already huh? How exciting."


"Yeah I know, time sure does fly by doesn't it?" She turned her attention to the food her mother was getting ready. "Sara and Jennie wanted to do another sleepover this weekend, maybe attend the carnival for the last time." Marie let out a soft gasp.


"Ohhh that's right! This year marks the end of that yearly carnival isn't it??" She was sad to hear such news. Marie could remember the year it came into town, excited that she was going to be able to not only attend but in the future, attend with her child. "That sounds like a lot of fun, I don't see why not." Smiling, Sally nodded and turned on heel to go to her bedroom.


"I'm gonna go do my homework now, I'll call Sara and Jennie later on the news." Her mother smiled and nodded, waving to her as she watched her daughter vanish behind her bedroom door. Sally sighed and dropped her things onto her desk that now resided across from her bed, sitting down in the matching chair. 'Just focus on your homework, ignore everything outside this room' was all she kept telling herself inside her head, laying out her books, papers, and school supplies. As long as she could escape in something, she was fine. A few hours passed, the only sound filling the room was the sound of her pencil scribbling her work on paper. Jotting down the last of her answers on the lined piece of paper, Sally began stretching her arms above her head, leaning back into her chair for a full stretch of her body. Nothing like finishing your work to do as you pleased for the rest of the evening. Swiping the book she was currently reading off her desk, the girl flopped herself down on her bed, removing the bookmark she had inserted to mark where she left off last. Chapter five of 'Tales of Jasmine: The Quest for the Land of Peace', ohh this was going to be a good chapter. A sudden knock on her door made her head whip around to face it, eyes slightly wide as she stared at the bottom of the door, a pair of feet showing. Who they were, she didn't know. Swallowing hard at the knot building in her throat, Sally sat up in the middle of her bed. "... Come in..!"


The door opened to reveal her father, coat still on with suitcase in hand. "Hey there! Who's ready for a slumber party this weekend??" He asked with a smile, laughing as the girl bolted from her bed to grab him into a tight close hug.


"I know I am!" Called a voice from the kitchen, the only voice that would give her the creeps. His voice. Growing fear and anger swirled within her, swallowing it all to keep it from spilling out in front of everyone. She hated him. Hated that he was walking around as if nothing has ever happened, carefree as she was at a younger age. Hated that she was afraid of telling the truth to the only people she loved more in this whole wide world. Putting on her front, Sally smiled up at her father.


"Is dinner almost ready?" She asked, holding close to her father as they walked back into the kitchen. The girl did her best to ignore her uncle, keeping him out of her sight for as long as she needed. Her father was a great shield, but she knew she couldn't hide behind him forever. But for now, he was the best comfort blanket next to her mother.


"Almost ready? It's done now!" Sally chuckled and trotted over to her mother's side, asking if she needed any help with anything. Just like always, she only needed the table set. Grabbing the plates that were already out and ready, the brunette began placing plates in front of chairs, making sure to keep her plate along with her uncles far away from each other. Just like always. Well, almost always. This, however, Marie came to notice recently. Any time Johnny would set the table, he would keep everyone sitting to one side, both he and Sally on the left or right, she and Frank sitting at the end of the table. Every time Sally would set the plates, she and Johnny wouldn't be sitting together. It was a small detail, but a detail she kept in her head because of how bizarre and odd it was. Regardless, she kept it to herself, usually thinking nothing of it after a few moments thought on the matter.


Everyone sat down at their respective chairs, everyone plating their food, just another dinner at the Williams. A dinner of ever-growing anxiety for Sally. Before she could happily talk about her day, enjoy the taste of her mother's fantastic cooking while looking forwards to watching television with her family. Now? Now she just wanted it all to be over in an instant. A quick meal to feed her aching stomach, and straight to bed without the worry of him paying her his nightly visit. But she knew deep down, he would be there. No matter how much she wished on stars, prayed to God, or clicked her heels. She knew he would return. And deep down, she was fed up with it. She wanted her life back, she wanted the feeling of being free as a kid again. But it was snuffed out of her. And that's what angered her the most, was that it was her own family doing this to her.


Sally was completely unaware of the fact her parents were trying to get her attention, both of them saying her name at the same time finally broke her of her daze. She looked at both of them.


"H-huh, what?"


"Did you want a buttered roll?" Her mother asked, offering just that to her. Sally blinked and snapped out of her funk, a smile now on her face.


"Oh! Yes, please. Thank you." Sally let out a chuckle after placing the bread down onto her plate. "Sorry, was thinking of, all the fun activities the girls and I will be doing this weekend." Frank paid no mind to how odd and how long it took her to respond to not only him, but his wife as well. Johnny, on the other hand, was internally relishing the fact that his mere presents made the girl uncomfortable. But as always, played dumb to her weird antics and figured she was just a growing girl and gave her a typical 'clueless' smile. The rest of the dinner was somewhat awkward what with Sally being in another place, even when she was eating, you could tell she was miles away. Her parents began asking her if she felt alright, asking if she felt under the weather at all, or if school was the cause of anything. All she could do was reassure them that she was fine, just tired from the long day at school, lying and telling them they had a lot of tests she was doing her best to study a lot on. That info alone seemed to satisfy their curiosity towards her.


Sally after dinner helped her mother with the kitchen, watching as her father and uncle left the house to have their work meetings at Johnny's 'home'. Already, the heaviness in her heart was lifted. Glad she could feel somewhat normal in her own house as soon as he was gone. Marie took the time to begin to question her daughter.


"Sally dear."


"Yes, mother?"


"Are you... are you, really feeling alright?" Sally felt a twinge of fear rise. Swallowing she smiled and nodded, making sure her mother wouldn't see any form of fright in her.


"Yeah! Why do you ask?" Marie put down the top to one of the many plastic containers on the counter, looking over to her with a face of worry.


"You just seem to be a little... different lately." Sally waved her hand as if dismissing the statement giving her mom a reassuring smile.


"It's just stress from school, trust me."


"If you say so, sweetheart..."


Finally escaping the questioning grip of her mother, Sally closed her bedroom door behind her, once again flopping down on her bed. The year she turned ten her parents installed a phone in her room, along with their bedroom and the guest room. Not only would she need one in the future, but it was the hip new thing everyone was doing. Picking up the light pink phone now resting on her second nightstand, the girl dialed Jennie first. A few rings before she picked up.


"Yyyello?" Jennie called as she jotted down her work on a sheet of paper, nearly done with completing her homework. Sally smiled and sat up on her bed.


"Iiiitsa pink! Green hasn't been contacted yet!" The two chuckled. "So I asked the mother about the sleepover and carnival."


"Oh? What's the news?"


"She's down like a clown." Another set of giggles and laughter came from the two. "What did your parents say?"


"They're fine with it, I just gotta make sure I keep the spare house key on me, just in case anyone was away when I go home."


"Awesome, you can come over whenever you like tomorrow. If you wanna bring some games to play you can."


"You can count on it! See you tomorrow."


"Bye-bye!"


Hanging up the phone, Sally lifted it back up to put in Sara's number, waiting as the other line rang. After a few more the other line picked up.


"Green speaking~." Sang Sara as she brushed the hair of her pageant queen barbie.


"Pink here! Everything is a-okay for project Carnival Slumber Party! What's the status with you? Over?" Sara laughed and placed her doll back on the stand it belonged on, sitting on a shelf with the rest of her collector barbie dolls.


"Alpha and Omega Green are willing to allow me to come, over!"


"That's fantastic news! Make sure you bring everything you want when you come over, there is no required time to come, over!"


"Aye aye Captain Pink, over and out!"


"Over and out!"


Sally chuckled as she hung up her phone one last time for the night, yawning as she rose off her bed to get ready to sleep. They had a big day tomorrow, and she'd rather feel as rested as she can get. Her happy mood was instantly shot down after remembering the time of day. She nervously looked out her window, the blinds were slightly open, allowing her to see the color of the sky. There was a lock on her door on the inside, all the rooms had them. The only downside was, it was easy to 'unlock', as long as you had something long enough to poke through the hole to press up against the lock. Sally herself had figured this out when she was just five years old. She just figured it was a weird toy of some sort, a game you could play of sorts. It was simple and fun at the time, now she dreaded it. Because if she could figure it out at the age of five, a grown man could figure it out just as easily. She never knew why it didn't come to her mind before, but maybe just maybe... Panicking, she rushed to her writing desk, pulling out the drawers to see if she had anything to help her stay safe, just for one night. She just wanted one night of peace. And maybe more if this could work.


Opening the last drawer on her desk, she gasped and smiled. Completely forgetting that she had stashed one of the extra duct tape rolls, for future craft projects that needed something a bit stronger than normal tape. Taking the scissors from the middle drawer, she cut a piece that was long enough to 'keep the door locked'. Sticking one end on the side of the knob, Sally pressed in the lock-in now laying down the strip of tape against it, applying the now free end down on the other side of the doorknob. She just had to pray that it would work. Stepping away from the door, the girl began getting ready for bed, pulling on a pair of pajama pants and a matching button-up. Another knock causes the girl to freeze, fear rushing up her throat to form a knot. Clasping her hands together, she took a deep breath, getting her breathing steady before replying.


"J..just a minute!" Slowly the brunette stepped towards her door, peeling back the tape that now left a sticky residue on the copper-colored doorknob. Taking a deep breath, she twisted the knob, popping the lock and opening the door. It was her mother.


"You ready for bed? Already?" She asked glancing at her pajamas. Sally nodded.


"Yeah, tomorrow will be a big day for everyone, I wanna make sure I'm a rested as I can be." Her mother then smiled, as if happy to hear that there wasn't anything wrong with her baby girl.


"Okay, well, if you need anything, your father and I will be in our rooms. Your uncle also turned in early today so, I doubt you'll see him again till tomorrow." She chuckled Sally joining her practically forcing her laughter.


"I love you mom, I'll see you in the morning." Giving her mother a quick tight hug and a kiss on the cheek, gaining one in return, Sally closed her door again, instantly slapping the tape back over the lock once feeling her mother was out of earshot of her door. "Yeah right, turned in early my butt..." She grumbled giving her door a look of annoyance. Sighing she made her way back to her bed, crawling under the covers and swiped up her Tales of Jasmine book off the nightstand, reading a couple of chapters before growing drowsy. Placing the bookmark in between the pages she was currently on, Sally laid the book back down, turning off the light before pulling the sheets up and over her shoulder. Minutes later, the sound she dreaded happened.


The doorknob moved a little, a small jiggle as if someone was trying to open the door, only to get caught on the lock. Another jiggle, then another, then silence. It wasn't long before you could hear something being inserted, a light scraping could be heard from them trying to poke and prod to find the lock itself. Sally didn't know what came over her, but a burst of bravery and anger overflowed. She just wanted her to leave her alone. Leaping from her bed, the girl ran over to the door, gripping hard on it while keeping the lock pushed in. After a few more attempts at the door being unlocked, she could hear him let out a frustrated grunt, the doorknob getting one last anger-filled rattle.


"Fucking brat... Fuck you."


Her grip was still iron tight, not knowing if he was still there or not. That is until she could hear the front door lightly close, indicating that he was finally out of the house. Letting out the held breath she had, the girl began breathing shakily, her hands slowly releasing its grip as she shook. She had done it, for the first time, she stood up to him. She felt, empowered, strong even. But even that was short-lived. Her confident smile melted into a face of worry and fear. What was going to happen now? After all these years of putting up with him, she did the one thing she thought she would, or could never do. She thought she would gain peace, even for a night for doing something like this, but now she felt as if she had made things worse. Climbing back into her bed, Sally looked back to her door, silence enveloping her room while crickets chirped outside her window. That night was a rough night of sleep for her, the complete opposite of what she was going for the night before.


Light shined through the blinds, waking the girl up from her slumber. She got to sleep, but not well-rested sleep. She kept having the same night terror, high beams chasing her while she tried her best to run away from them, running deeper and deeper into the dark wood. All while hearing her uncle call out in anger. Pure, unfiltered rage. Sally groaned and climbed out of bed, once again pulling the tape off and unlocking the door with a single twist of the knob. Peeking past the door, she was relieved to see her mother already up and cooking. Pulling the door open fully she continued making her way across the living room, revealing more of the kitchen as she moved. Her father was up as well, coffee in hand, newspaper open to the news in the other. He looked up past his readers and smiled, setting down his coffee on the table.

"Good morning." Sally smiled and made her way around to kiss his cheek.


"Good morning dad."


"How'd you sleep?" Sally felt a pain in her heart from the lie she was about to tell, like all the others before.


"Like a baby." They chuckled as Sally made her way over to give her mother the same kiss.


"Good morning sweetheart. Breakfast is about to be done, and your uncle hasn't shown up yet. Would you be a dear and go see if he's up? If not, tell him that food is going to be ready soon." Of course, she would have to. Here she thought she could avoid him this morning, at least for a bigger portion of it. Swallowing she forced her smile and nodded.


"Yeah! O-of course! Be right back." The girl began making her way back around the kitchen into the front of the house, not even bothering with putting on shoes at this point. His home was on the side of the house where the master bedroom would be, the only good thing about it in her opinion. As soon as she closed the door behind her, Sally's face went from happy to fearful. Her eyes darted around to see if anyone was up and outside that morning, anyone who would be working on their garden, lawn, anything. So far, no one yet. The closer she walked to his house, the slower she began to move. It wasn't long before she was standing in front of the door, hands fidgeting on the ends of her sleeves as her eyes stared at the curtain covered window. He was asleep. Or at least, what he wanted them to think. Sally began to shake, her arm slowly rising to reach out, lightly knocking on the door a few times loud enough for him to hear. No answer. She took a deep breath and grabbed ahold of the doorknob, slowly turning it giving it a light push.


Cracking the door Sally could see inside the dim room. No lights were on, the sun was already providing a decent amount of light, even if the curtains were closed at every window. The clothes he was wearing were strewn about the room and on the bed? Sally felt her breath cut short, the fear escalating when she realized he was already awake, sitting up and staring right at her on.


"Good morning, Sally." Her skin crawled at the sound of him saying her name, much less even speaking to her. Trembling, the girl pushed the door open some more, light now filling the rest of the room. He looked mad, tired, but very irritated. Gathering the courage to find her voice, Sally replied, trying her best to keep it from shaking.


"G... Good morning..."


"Good morning, who?" He said almost instantly as if she had forgotten to say something. Sally swallowed hard and gripped the doorknob tighter.


"... Good morning, uncle Johnny..." She watched as he let out a light scoff, an annoyed smirk now on his face. Before she could even relay what her mother wanted her to say, the man sighed aloud and rose from his bed.


"So. Last night." He started, grabbing his half-empty pack of cigarettes to pull one out, tossing the lighter on his nightstand after lighting up. Turning to face her, the man began slowly walking towards her, staring her down with anger. "You got some nerve to keep me out. I could have easily busted my way inside that pathetic room of yours. You think that door is the only way in?" He threatened, chuckling as he watched her realize he was talking about the window.


"I-It's l-locked--"


"It's locked??" He mocked in a baby voice, smiling after seeing her face grow upset. "You think a stupid lock is going to stop me?"


"It d-did last night." Johnny scowled and flicked the ash from his cancer stick at her, chuckling again when she flinched and stepped back out of fear.


"Let me tell you something, Sal." Taking a few more steps towards her he knelt and stared up at her, all while taking a long drag of his cigarette. "That better be the last night you try and stop me. Because if you keep it up?" Exhaling the smoke into her face, he smiled and reached up to give her cheek a quick brush of his thumb, watching her as she recoiled from his touch with disgust. "I'm gonna make sure we play the most horrible game you can imagine." Johnny grinned and looked her straight in the eye. "We'll keep playing it till you learn to never deny me ever again."


"Mr. Sally's Uncle?" Arose a voice behind the brunette, the two looking over to see not only Jennie but Sara standing in the grass a few meters away from them. Sally was already fighting tears, but hearing her friend's voice was the most thankful godsend she would ask for. Johnny, on the other hand, was quick to mask his true nature, standing up and smiling sleepily with a wave of his hand.


"Heyyy you guys made it for the sleepover!" He called, watching as the two preteens eyed them in curiosity. Sara was the one to reply.


"Yep! Sally said there was no specific time for when we could come over, so we thought--" Jennie butted in and elbowed Sara's arm.


"You mean, YOU thought?" Sara cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes at her friend.


"Thought-- that we could join you guys for breakfast!" Sally quickly turned to rub her eyes, smiling as she looked back at them, instantly running towards the two to embrace them.


"Of course you guys can... Food is about to be ready anyway, so you guys are just in time!" Looking back to her uncle, she kept her smile as if it were a shield, and looked him right in the eye. "Mom wanted me to tell you breakfast is ready, she wants you to get up if you haven't already." Johnny kept his smile as well, only to mask how utterly pissed he was at her meddling friends.


"You got it, I'll be there in a moment." Closing the door with a gentle thud, the three girls began making their way to the main house. Jennie looked back at Johnny's home, only to look back when they were out of view.


"Hey uh, Sal?"


"Yeah?"


"Uhhh what, was your uncle talking to you about?" Sally looked at her with confusion, dreading at how observant her friend was.


"What do you mean?"


"Well... I went to get Sara so we could, y' know, come over together. And when we started to walk this way, it just seemed weird that he would, I don't know. Talk 'down at your level'?" Sara gave Jennie a confused look.


"Wha? You're making no sense Jen." Jennie furrowed her brow.


"I mean, if he was going to talk to you, he could just talk to you. I would hate it if someone did that to me. I'm not some baby anymore." Sally wanted to leap up for joy and praise her friend for how she unknowingly knew how she felt. Well... almost. But to keep her off the scent, the girl shrugged her shoulders.


"I don't know, he was just curious about how I've been feeling. I just told him it was stress from school." Both Sara and Jennie let out a light scoff.


"Yeah right, you? Stressed over the school? You love school!" Jennie started, Sara now opening the front door to the house.


"Yeah, you saying you're stressed in school is like saying you're tired of breathing!" Sally shushed them, not wanting her mother to overhear them, not knowing if she did or not.


"U-uhhh hey! Mom! Jennie and Sara are here!" Her father looked back up from his newspaper, smiling to see the trio walk in the house.


"Wanted to be here bright and early huh?" He asked as the two guests laughed and nodded. "Go ahead and leave your things in Sally's room, Sally? Help your mother set the table." Marie smiled and looked back at the group.


"Good thing I cooked a lot of pancakes and bacon! Does anyone want any scrambled eggs?"

Sara called back that she didn't like eggs, but Jennie agreed to them. Before long, the whole family, guests included, were now seated at the table. Sally kept herself far from her uncle, having him sit next to Jennie while she sat beside her mother and Sara. The whole time Sally kept her attention off of her uncle, at least whenever she could. They planned that they would depart to the carnival around noon, letting them eat lunch while they were there. Sara brought up the fact that Sally's birthday was the week after their Spring Break, suggesting that they should plan it that night when they returned home from their daily activities. Sally's parents agreed that would be a fantastic idea, they had not forgotten the day of her 12th birthday, both of them excited for her to grow into her own. They figured they could leave Johnny with the three girls at the carnival while they shopped for Sally's birthday party. Jennie and Sara didn't mind what they did, as long as they got to be a part of the last day of their beloved event.


The whole time they were at the carnival, Sally couldn't completely enjoy herself. It didn't matter where they went or what they did, she could always feel his eyes focused on her and her alone. They were practically burning into the back of her skull, burning through her soul. But in the end, she put up a front, tried her best to ignore the annoyance that was her uncle, and tried to enjoy the rides, the games, and even the food there. As long as she wasn't completely alone with him, she knew she was safe. Hours passed by, and it wasn't long before her parents were walking around trying to find them, finally spotting Johnny at the metal fence separating the civilians from the teacup ride. The two joined up with him chatting about how they got everything they needed, ordered her cake to be baked and decorated on the day of her birthday, and even bought a few early birthday gifts. All while the three were busy laughing and making their teacup spin as fast as it could go, their environment constantly warped and blurred the more they turned themselves. A loud burst of steam signaled the stop of the ride, all the teacups continued spinning even after the ride had halted.


The girls continued laughing as they wobbled out of the area while using the rails to steady themselves, Sally tripped over her feet once exiting the gate, landing onto a pair of arms caught her. Her laugher and smile faded when she saw who it was who caught her. It was her uncle.


"Careful now! Wouldn't want to hurt yourself huh?" He asked standing her up, watching her as she quickly rejoined her friends, a nervous chuckle escaping her.


"Y-yeah, thank, you."


On the drive home the three girls were in Williams' family car, Johnny driving in his car behind them. Marie asked if they all had fun and if they would miss going to that carnival. Jennie believed that they would come back with a bigger and better one, while Sara was just glad to have joined. Sally agreed with Jennie, wanting to see if that were indeed true during Summer Break. Taking a good thirty minutes to get back home, the girls one by one climbed out of the back seat when Frank parked inside the garage, allowing Johnny to park in the driveway. Bursting through the front door, the trio all laughed as they poured into Sally's bedroom, her door closing behind them. Frank and Marie chuckled, returning to unloading the birthday supplies from the trunk of the car, followed by Johnny.


"Man, that was a lot of fun, I'm beat." Sara sighed, untying her shoes and kicking them off. Jennie grinned and nodded doing the same with her sandals. It wasn't long before Jennie noticed the piece of duct tape hanging off her doorknob, and got up to investigate it. Sally followed her and let out a quiet gasp, feeling stupid for not thinking ahead and removing it before they got there.


"Uhh... Sal? Why, do you have duct tape on your door?" The brunette swallowed hard. "And more specifically, the lock?" Looking back to her friend, Jennie furrowed her brows and crossed her arms. "No one needs tape for a lock unless they want someone to stay out. I should know, I have sisters." Sally nervously looked over to Sara, her face confused as she looked back and forth to her friends. "Is there something, you're not telling us, Sally?"


"N... Nothing is wrong, hone--" Jennie tore off the tape and took a step towards her.


"Why? Why is this on your door?" She asked, getting a shush from the girl.


"SHH! Don't... don't talk so loud, I don't want..." She looked to her door, then down to her hands resting in her lap.


"You pinky promised us you would tell us if something was troubling you, and something is troubling you! I've been so worried about you Sally, you haven't been right for a long, long time." Jennie paused when she saw tears well up in Sally's eyes. The brunette began to sob in her arms, pushing herself close to her bed to muffle her crying. She couldn't help it, it was all too much. Her friends were onto her and it couldn't be hidden from them anymore. Sara and Jennie embraced their friend to comfort her, allowing her to cry all she needed before she could finally reveal her darkest secret. The ugly she had hidden from not only her friends but her family. Telling them every horrible thing from beginning to end. Sara and Jennie at first thought it was a sick joke, but the look on Sally's face said otherwise. Shocked and appalled, the two began angrily asking why she never said anything before, why her parents aren't aware of it.


"Do you honestly think they'll believe me? Believe that, my father's brother is a... a... preditor??" Sally retorted.


"You NEED to tell your parents Sally, this has got to stop..." Sara peeped, letting Jennie and Sally do most of the talking and arguing.


"She's right Sal... We need... YOU need to tell them, the sooner the better." Sally shook her head and hid in her hands. It wasn't until Jennie had it in her mind that they could do it on her birthday.


"Do... do what on my birthday?"


"Expose your gross uncle! He can't do anything when you have more than just us at a party, it'll be perfect!" Sara smiled and looked over.


"Don't be scared of his threats anymore, he can't hurt you anymore as long as you stay close to your parents." Sara took ahold of Sally's hand, now facing her. "I know this week will be the longest, but it'll be worth it after it passes. We just want you to be happy again." As the girls plotted their plan for the next week, they failed to see or realize that a certain someone was eavesdropping outside the bedroom window the whole time they plotted.


Nothing happened during or after the slumber party, which was suspicious in Sally's eyes. No real attempts to enter her room at night, just rattling the doorknob and faking unlocking it. Every day that passed made her grow more nervous. At school, she would speak of her concerns with Jennie and Sara during lunch. Sara blew off the feeling she had, telling her he was only trying to scare her, referring to his 'horrible game' threat from last weekend. Jennie on the other hand told her to keep her guard up, even more than she already has.


"Don't worry Sally, tomorrow will be the last day that man ever does anything to you."


--------


It was Sunday morning, April 12th, 1970. Sally, for the first time, slept without a night terror that whole night. Instead, she dreamt of her being happy, free from her uncle as she grew up, now better, and even married with children. A fever dream at most, she thought. But it was nice enough to distract her from the man that was praying on her. Three light knocks came from her door. Sitting up in her bed, the girl yawned and called for whoever it was to enter. It was her mother, opening the door while hiding something behind her back. She smiled and walked in to sit down on her bed.


"Happy birthday my sweetpea." Leaning in to kiss her daughter on the forehead, the woman placed what she was hiding on Sally's lap. Pink tissue paper was wrapping up, something, topped with a white bow. Gently taring the paper apart, Sally let out a gasp, a smile spreading across her face as she lifted the new pink nightgown from the paper. Marie grinned and watched as her daughter rose off the bed to press the gown against her, spinning.


"Oh, mother... this is beautiful!"


"I made it for you for tonight's Slumber Party. You girls sure do enjoy those, don't you?" She joked with a chuckle, earning one from her daughter.


"Well, this one is gonna be a special mama, just you watch."


Marie was happy to see that there was a familiar glow returning to her daughter, one she hadn't seen in years. Why she would never know, but was glad it was coming back. "I have all your party invitations ready to be sent out." Sally smiled and placed the new article of clothing on the clothing rack in her closet, quickly making her bed and getting dressed. The whole week, Sally noticed that she didn't see her uncle all too much, even at dinner and breakfast.


"Hey, mom?" Sally started, her fork cutting into the small stack of pancakes her mother had cooked.


"Yes, sweetie?"


"Is... Is everything alright with uncle Johnny? I haven't seen him the past few days..." Marie could only shrug her shoulders.


"I'm not sure, I don't think so. He's just been very busy with work. Your father is currently working on a big company project, and your uncle is helping him as much as he can. He's probably just tired."


Eyeing the front door with uncertainty, the girl continued eating her food, glad that she would be missing any form of contact with him. Maybe that's why his nightly activity stopped altogether. Still, she had her doubts. She felt that he was planning something. There was nothing innocent about that man. Getting ready to leave to deliver everyone's invitation by hand. "Make sure you come back once you're done, I have a feeling a lot of your guests will come early." Sally laughed.


"Like Sara and Jennie?"


"Haha, yes, like Sara and Jennie. Maybe they can help you." Nodding, Sally began to get her shoes on, quickly swiping up the bundle of letters before trotting out of the house.


"I'll be back!" She called before closing the door behind her. Sally made her way inside the garage, walking alongside her bike. Jennie and Sara, who had already ridden their own over to her, called out to her. It wasn't long before the three biked out around the neighborhood, Sally giving each girl three letters each, holding a set herself. "Split up and meet back here once we have everyone invited." And off they went. Each bikes off in a different direction. Thirty-five minutes passed, Jennie being the first to return, Sally second, and Sara last. They all agreed to return home to wait for everyone else to come. The whole time they waited, they began playing outside in their front yards, just like when they were little. Hours passed, and one by one, each girl who was invited was being dropped off by their respective parents. Each girl waving them away before giggling, screaming, or both as they ran over to hug Sally. Each one wishing her a happy birthday.


Presents were placed in a pile next to the kitchen table, all neatly stacked as each girl showed with one. They all ran around the house and outside in both the front and back yard. Not once had she seen her uncle. She hasn't seen him at all. The more time passed, the more Sally subconsciously thought about it. The evening had blanketed the sky, and one by one each girl began dressing in their pajamas. Sally wanting to show off her brand new homemade nightgown her mother made. Marie smiled as she spoke on the phone inside the kitchen, watching as the girls played around the home.


"Yes, half of them are cheese and the other half is pepperoni. Mhm... Soda choice? Oh my, I hadn't thought of that. Just give me Sprite and Coca-Cola. Mhm... Yes, thank you, mhm, goodbye." Hanging up the phone, the mother smiled and walked back to the front room, sitting down with her husband. It wasn't till she forgot the one important thing that goes with pizza and cake. Ice cream. "Oh no..." Frank looked over and rose a brow.


"What's wrong honey?"


"I... I forgot to buy some ice cream today!" She said in a hushed tone, as to not upset the guests that ran about. Frank smiled and pulled his sleeve back to view his watch.


"Ohh don't panic, I'm sure Johnny can go swing by the store to get some." Rising from his seat, the man walked out of the house to visit his brother. Knocking on the door, he waited till his kin answered. When he did, he relayed the message of the current situation. Johnny smiled and nodded.


"Of course I can get some. Is it alright if Sally comes along? I fear I'll get the flavors wrong for all her friends." Frank nodded.


"That sounds like a fantastic idea. I'll go get her." As soon as he returned to the main house, he opened the front door and called for his daughter. Sally, who was busy laughing with a group of girls, Jennie and Sara both by her side. "Sally!" The sound of her name being called grabbed her attention, she told everyone she would be right back, and ran over to see what her father wanted.


"Yeah?"


"Can you go with your uncle Johnny to the store real quick?" The fear she had been dreading to feel all day finally pushed its way to the surface, yet she kept her calm, now glancing over to see her uncle twirling his keychain loop around his finger. "Your mother forgot to get ice cream for your cake, and Johnny doesn't want to mess up the flavors your friends like."

"... Uh... Yeah, sure... let me just get my shoes..." Frank watched as his daughter trotted back to the small circle of friends she was mingling with, most likely to either ask for flavors or tell them she would return. Sally instantly returned to Jennie and Sara grabbing both their hands in each of hers. "Hey, guys... if I don't come back..." The look on her best friend's faces went from happy to worried.


"What... What do you mean if you don't come back." Whispered Sara, gripping tight on Sally's right hand.


"I'm... going to the store with my uncle... and I have a real, bad, feeling..." Jennie furrowed her brow and also gave her hand a tight squeeze. Sally gripped them tightly. "So... if I don't come back... I want you to tell my mother everything. Please. She's the only one who was just like you guys, she knew something was going on, and I know she'll believe you, you just have to tell her it's the truth." She smiled and gave her friend fingers a light kiss. "Goodbye you guys, you two are the best friends a girl could ask for..." With that, the brunette released their hands, turning on a heel to get her slippers on.


Sally fiddled with her fingers as she walked back to the front of her house, a sad smile on her face as she took in the sight of her last birthday party, glad all her friends were having a wonderful time. Before she turned in the direction to the front door, she looked back to her mother, running over to embrace her one last time. Marie chuckled and hugged her back, only growing concerned when she didn't let go right away, along with tightening her grip. The woman opened her mouth to ask what was wrong but was cut off by her daughter speaking first.


"I love you, mom... You're the best mother anyone could ever have. Thank you for such a fantastic birthday party."


"Sally? Honey, are you feeling alright?" Sally slowly shook her head 'no', pulling away with a smile on her face.


"I gotta go get that ice cream, can't keep... uncle Johnny waiting..." Running back to the front door, Sally hugged her father as well. "I love you, daddy." He smiled and hugged back, kissing on top of her head.


"I love you too sweetheart, be back soon alright?"


Sally closed the car door with a thud, eyes forwards as she tried her best to keep them off of her uncle. "Fasten your seatbelt, Sally." He asked in his 'normal' tone as he did just that, now pulling out of the driveway to depart to the store. The girl swallowed hard and grabbed ahold of the strap, pulling it over her torso and strapping herself in. "Good girl." A few minutes passed in silence as he exited the entrance to their neighborhood, turning left instead of right to head for the closest store. Sally noticed this and began to panic, still not wanting to look at him as he finally broke the silence. "So... You and your friends are pretty meddlesome, huh?" Sally began gripping her gown tightly, trembling as he continued. "Thought you could band together like some stupid unit? Like you could outsmart me? HUH??!" The girl flinched at his sudden outburst, a small whimper escaping her as he reached over to slap her across the face. "What did I tell you, Sally?? We're gonna be playing the most horrible game you could ever imagine--"


Without warning and with a pure burst of fight or flight instinct, the girl unclipped her seatbelt and launched herself out of the moving car, a pain-filled grunt escaping her as she rolled to a stop. Adrenalin began to pump through her small body, now darting towards the public playground that resided right outside her neighborhood. If she was fast enough, she could lose him through the bit of wood that separated the two areas. During the summer, she, Jennie, and Sara would take their shortcut through the woods to get to the park faster. Panting heavily with every stride she ran, Sally screamed from the sound of the car turning and driving towards her, the high beams shining past her, flooding the park and front end of the woods with light.


"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!" She yelled, tears streaming down her face as she ran for her life. She could feel the heat of the car growing closer with every step she took, her uncle screaming like a mad man, things like 'I told you, Sally, I told you not to!!' and 'You're dead, you're so fucking dead!!'. It was then that she could remember her frequent night terrors of the same reoccurring dream, one where she was constantly running from two bright lights in the forest. There was no way she could have dreamt this horrible outcome for so long, she didn't want to believe it, but the longer she ran, she knew she would never escape. She would never return home to her loving family and friends, never return to where she belonged, never to see what she would become as a young lady.


Turning a hard left the girl began to run towards the woods, a loud screech of tires skidding across the lot could be heard, then a door slamming.


"SALLY!! GET BACK HERE!!" He screamed in anger, his footsteps gaining her as she attempted to lose him through the thicket. Though it only served to slow her down, her gown getting caught on shrubs and twigs, slippers now completely off her feet from how much she had been running already. Sally released a terrified scream as she felt his hand grab a handful of her, yanking her back in such a way that she slipped and fell onto the foliage, struggling and fighting back as best as she could before she was completely overpowered.



Sally slowly removed her hands from her eyes, peeking through her fingers to see she was still in the woods. The sky was darker than she remembered, darker all around her. The girl stood up and looked around, gasping when she saw her uncle sitting over something. Stepping back some the child let out a gasp of horror. He was sitting over her dead body, a bloody meaty rock resting limply in his hand. The blood spatter was small, but you could tell he had a bit on him. She was confused. How could she be here if she was right there, dead?? Panicking, Sally continued to run through the woods, wanting to go home as fast as she could. No, no, this was all just a dream, a weird, horrible dream. Feeling tears flood her eyes, the girl stopped when she reached her bedroom window, looking inside as she watched her friends continue to play and have a grand time. It wasn't until she pressed her hands against the glass that she could phase through it.


Gasping at the sudden event she retracted her hands, repeating the phenomenon willingly this time. "No..." She muttered, now walking through the wall. She was a ghost, she was dead, wasn't she? Growing overwhelmed, Sally couldn't help but begin to sob aloud, practically screaming in agony from the realization her life was truly at an end. One by one she faced her friends, asking them if she could see her, feel her, anything through gasps and crying. But one by one, no one acknowledged her. She was just there. Slumping to the ground, Sally sniffled as she watched her mother passed in the kitchen, obviously worried about what she had said earlier that evening. Frank walked over and asked her what was wrong, the two now exchanging what Sally had said to her before she left. Sara and Jennie then walked up to the two adults, both of them worried as they spilled the beans.


Marie instantly began to freak, panicking as she frantically looked around their house, as if looking for the car keys for the family car. All she was saying 'I knew it, I knew it, why didn't I act sooner, oh my God!' Frank was confused and furious that the two accused his kin of such acts. He was in denial at first, but as soon as thirty minutes passed, he had a bad feeling. Ice cream should not take this long to be purchased, especially when the drive is only ten minutes to and back. Nothing but chaos broke out the days that followed. Johnny was on the run, the only way they had found her body was after he was caught. The cashier that worked at the gas station recognized him from his wanted picture, turning him in almost instantly.


Johnny cracked under pressure and confessed to everything, blaming everything on his brother and wife. He blamed his brother for how much of a perfect life he had, blamed him for never being there for him when he needed him the most. Blamed Marie for everything that had gone wrong in his life. Blaming her for having a child that was her spitting image. He had fallen in love with his brother's wife when they were younger, growing bitter when she favored Frank more than him, and with their father's constant abuse targeted towards him, he was a recipe for a ticking time bomb. It was just the fact of knowing when he would blow, but it was too late. The crime was committed, and he was arrested for life for the murder of his niece, Sally Williams.


Marie never recovered from the loss of her daughter, Frank feared she was growing mad with talk of 'seeing her daughter' in her bedroom or the house. The two moved out in 1971 on the anniversary of her death, which, of course, was her birthday. Before they moved out of town, Marie visited her baby girl's grave, weeping as she brushed off a stray leaf or two, switching out the dead bouquet for a fresh one before setting a teddy bear next to the picture she chose to be printed on her tombstone. The two said their prayers before exiting the cemetery, leaving the state to never return.


--------


For some reason, she couldn't sleep well that night. Sitting up in her bed, the teen yawned and looked around her room, lightly gasping when she saw the door to her bedroom was open. She could have sworn she closed her door before climbing into bed. "Guess I forgot...?" Getting up from the warmth and comfort of her bed, the girl made her way across the room and shut the door. A soft click indicating it was closed all the way. Before she could climb back into her covers, a creek outside in the hall could be heard. Were her parents up? They must have checked on her to see if she was asleep or something, whatever, her parents were weird. As soon as she got her legs covered up, the teen froze to hear a faint sound of... crying? Though, it sounded like a kid, a bit younger than her from the sound of it. Slowly rising from bed once more, the girl made her way to her door and opened it. The crying seemed to be coming from outside of her room. Peering down the darkened room the teen crept through the living room, following the sounds of the whimpering. Once getting to the end of the room, the girl gasped. Sitting on the front room floor was a little girl. She was hunched over, crying and rocking back and forth. How did she get into the house? Through the window? She knew all the doors were locked but weren't sure about the windows. Swallowing hard, the teen spoke up.


"Who... Who are you? How did you get in my house?" She asked, flinching when she heard the crying stop. The child slowly moved her trembling hands away from her face, now looking directly at the teenager. Blood replaced her tears, staining her hands and face. There was a massive mass of brain and skull protruding from the right side of her head, blood leaking from the wound down her face and onto her dirty nightgown. Her bright green eyes seemed like they looked right through her soul. Just the sight alone nearly caused her to empty her bladder.


"This is my house..." The girl spoke, her voice raspy, sounding as if she was struggling and straining to speak. The girl's body twitched and wiggled oddly as she rose to her feet and turned to fully face the teen. Her feet were dirty as if she was running through mud, scrapes and bruises covered her knees and legs, the end of her gown was torn and tattered. Reaching out with her blood-soaked hand the girl slowly smiled, blood staining her teeth as she spoke, bright green eyes glowing and staring directly in her eyes. An old tattered teddy bear with a missing right eye clutched close to her chest.


"Play with me...?"